Past the Dark World
by WiiFan2009
Summary: Jaden and Alexis's life after becoming a couple starting with season 4. Sequel to Dreams of the Dark World. JadenxAlexis. Creative liberties taken. AU and OOC.
1. Chapter 1

A/N: Ok, so here's the first chapter of my sequel to Dreams of the Dark World. I'm still not entirely sure what direction I want to take it in, so for now I'm gonna focus on specific moments in Season 4 and make up my mind during that. Please note that I do take creative liberty with the plot; the end result will be the same, but some of the specifics of the plotline may differ. Now that the disclaimer's out of the way, please R&amp;R. I enjoy your input.

Past the Dark World

Chapter 1: Voyage to Domino

_"Chancellor, I'm borrowing a boat!"_

Jaden flashed back as he rushed towards the Academy's boathouse. _I have to get to Domino; with Axel not responding, it's up to me to stop Trueman before he hits Duel Academy_. His mind briefly flashed to his girlfriend Alexis, before shaking his head, thinking _I wish I could take her; then I could keep an eye on her. But if I did that, I'd lead her straight into the heart of danger. I have to keep her safe, and that means keeping her at Duel Academy for now._ At last the boathouse came in sight, and Jaden rushed towards the door, only to spot the very girl he'd been thinking of blocking his passage. "Alexis, I, um…what are you doing here?" Jaden asked nonchalantly; the last thing he wanted to do was worry her with his welfare.

Alexis narrowed her eyes and glared at him. "You're leaving again, aren't you Jay?"

Jaden sighed; Alexis always could read him like a book. He learned that during his nightmares about the Dark World, and when Alexis supported him while he was at his most vulnerable. "Something's happened in Domino…and Axel won't respond; I need to see what's going on; what Trueman's up to."

Alexis took a single step forward, so that they were face-to-face and their noses were almost touching. They were close enough that they could look into each other's eyes, and Jaden was very fearful right now. Looking into her eyes when they were soft and loving made him feel comforted, like nothing could hurt him. When they were hard and showed Alexis's irritation and borderline anger, Jaden was very afraid of his girlfriend, and rightly so. "I'm coming with you" Alexis declared.

Jaden hesitated, his eyes fearful. He knew that Alexis was determined to get her way no matter what, and part of him yearned for her company. But the part that was fearful for her safety overpowered the part of him that wanted her by his side. "No Alexis, I have to go alone this time. I have to…"

"Have to what, Jaden? I understand that this is about Trueman, and stopping Nightshroud, but you don't have to go it alone. Why are you so stubborn about facing this alone? What do you have to…"

"I HAVE TO PROTECT YOU!" Alexis took a step back in shock; not even during his nightmares did Jaden raise his voice so loudly, nor did he ever sound so frantic. "THE LAST TIME I TOOK YOU WITH ME ON A BIG ADVENTURE, YOU GOT SENT TO THE STARS. FOR CRYING OUT LOUD, YOU ALMOST **DIED**, ALEXIS." His eyes flashed to the Supreme King's eyes, making Alexis gasp. Since fusing with Yubel, Jaden only showed the Supreme King's eyes under two conditions; when he was in mortal danger, and when he was under inhuman levels of emotional stress. "I know you said it wasn't my fault, but whether directly or indirectly, my actions nearly killed you, AND I CAN'T BEAR TO LOSE YOU LIKE THAT AGAIN, ALEXIS!"

It was then that Jaden's tears started falling down his cheeks like a waterfall, sobbing in a way that reminded Alexis of the night that he had his nightmares, the night before they confessed their love for each other. Alexis's eyes softened and her face formed an expression of guilt; the last thing she wanted was to bring forth Jaden's tears. "Jaden…" she stepped forward once more and embraced him, hugging him as tightly as she could. "Jaden, I had no idea, no idea that you felt so guilty about that." For a few moments, she said nothing, holding her beloved and stroking the back of his neck in a calming gesture. She knew Jaden was calming down when she saw his eyes fade back to normal. "I get that you just want to keep me safe, and I appreciate that. But Jaden, you have to understand, that I chose to accompany you into the Dark World. And just like when I stayed with you during your nightmare, I accompanied you because I wanted to, without any obligation."

"I…I understand that. But Lex, I didn't have to be so careless; at the very least, it was indirectly my fault that you guys were hurt like that." Jaden argued, his voice muffled by his face leaning into Alexis's breast. "After you and everyone else disappeared, all I could think about was that I had become a monster, and that it would just be better for everyone if I disappeared too!"

Although Alexis's expression didn't change, she was internally shaken by Jaden's confession. She knew from talking to Syrus that Jaden was an emotional wreck until facing Yubel, but part of her didn't want to believe it, until she saw Jaden display that behavior with her own eyes. "Jaden, I've known you for nearly 3 years now, and I know for a fact that you are not a monster. You stopped Kagemaru from resurrecting the Sacred Beasts, you stopped Sartorius from destroying the world, and you stopped Nightshroud's assassin Trueman not once, not twice, but three times in a row. Have you made your fair share of mistakes, yes, but everyone does." She leaned over to kiss Jaden's cheek. "You could never be a monster in my eyes; I love you, anata."

Jaden smiled at the use of their new pet name for each other; no matter how sad and angry he felt, hearing Alexis say that always cheered him up. "I…I love you too, Alexis." At last, he stopped crying, and lifted his head off her breast. Alexis smiled, wiping the tears from his face with her thumb. "But…I still need to go alone" he resolved.

"But…But Jaden…"

"And I need a favor from you Lex" Jaden interrupted. "Can you just do me one favor?"

"What is it?" Alexis inquired.

"In case this turns out to be a wild goose chase, I need you to be Duel Academy's last line of defense against Trueman." He squeezed her hand and continued "You're the best duelist I know, and if anyone can defeat Trueman and protect our school, it's you Lex."

"Jaden…" Alexis nodded, and replied "Yes." She hugged him tight one last time, and murmured "Just come home safe."

Jaden nodded, and hugged back before letting go. He then went to the boathouse, dragged the boat to the water, jumped in, and sped off to Domino, leaving Alexis to watch him disappear again.


	2. Chapter 2: Graduation

A/N: Before we get to the good stuff, I'd like to address a couple of concerns. First, there's the concern that the Japanese that I put in my chapters is random. I would like to clarify that I put the Japanese in there as symbolism of when Jaden and Alexis are being romantic and mushy with each other; basically one of the unique quirks in their specific relationship. However, to make sure that my readers get the references in future chapters, I will be labeling each use of Japanese and putting an explanation index at the end of the chapter. Second, there was a concern that my style has been writing Jaden and Alexis out of character. I will be the first to admit that I'm not the best at successfully writing the characters of any franchise, as they were exemplified in their original medium. However, I would like to note that just because a character acts this way in many of the situations that were shown in the anime, it's not necessarily how they would act in every situation, so I believe that there's room for creative interpretation in the situations that we rarely see in the original medium. Finally, I admit that combining the two fictions is an interesting idea and one that I would be willing to explore, but I would preferably like to wait until this fiction is complete before that happens. I am keeping it in mind; I'm just not making an immediate decision yet. Thank you for your patience, and I hope you enjoy this chapter!

Chapter 2: Graduation

"Jaden Yuki!"

Everybody clapped as Jaden walked over to Chancellor Sheppard and gratefully accepted his diploma, a small smile on his face. Of all those who were applauding, Alexis was the most enthusiastic; a wide smile stretching across her face, and tears of joy streaming down her cheeks. _I'm so proud of you…_she thought as she watched Jaden walk out of the auditorium. She turned around and started to follow, first slowly walking, turning into a jog, until she was full on running towards him. Jaden stopped and started to turn around when Alexis tackled him in an embrace, both of them wrapping their arms around each other and laughing.

"Welcome home, Jay" Alexis murmured in his ear, squeezing him for all he was worth.

"It's good to be home…" Jaden replied, a smile on his face. "But…maybe we should continue this reunion somewhere a little more private. Wanna go to my old dorm?"

Alexis smiled, took his hand, and started to drag her boyfriend to the Slifer grounds. After a few minutes' walk, the couple came to the dorm. Alexis playfully hug-tackled him to the ground, a smile plastered on her face. With her grip still on Jaden, they rolled on the grass until she was on top of him, looking down at his chocolate orbs.

"I love you…" Alexis said lovingly.

"I love you too" Jaden replied, hugging her tighter to show how much she meant to him.

"Man, this place sure brings back some memories, huh Lex?" Jaden remarked, sitting them up straight and looking at his girlfriend with a smile.

"Yeah, sure does. So much has happened these past 3 years. The Shadow Riders, the Society of Light, the Nightshroud incident…"

"…You forgot the Viper and Yubel incidents" Jaden hesitantly mentioned.

"I…I didn't forget about them, Jaden. It's just…" Alexis rubbed her shoulder nervously, her eyes glancing down at the water. "It's just that I know that those were the hardest for you, and I didn't want to bring something up that was gonna cause you more pain."

"I appreciate that, Lex." He then looked up at her and embraced her, rubbing her back in the same comforting manner that she did for him. "But, as much as those events haunt me, and will continue to haunt me for the rest of my life, I don't let the guilt from those days rule my life anymore." He smiled at her and continued "It's like you said, I shouldn't feel so bad about something that was in the past."

She smiled at him and replied "I'm glad." She then leaned forward until their foreheads were touching. "But Jaden, if anything upsets you like that again, don't hesitate to come and talk to me. I'll listen."

Jaden squeezed Alexis tighter, and kissed her cheek. Alexis smiled and lay her head in the crook of his neck, enjoying the moment.

"So, now that we've both graduated, what now?" Alexis wondered out loud. _Since I'm studying abroad and Jaden's going to go who knows where, what'll happen to us?_

She didn't want to lose him, but with both of them going in separate directions, she was uncertain if they would be able to keep an active relationship with such a long distance between them.

"Well, I'm planning to travel the world and see who I can help along the way." He separated from her arms then, so that they were looking into each other's eyes. "And what about you; didn't you say that you were going to stay at Duel Academy as a researcher?"

She looked away for a moment, and then replied "Actually Jaden, I have a confession to make." Jaden raised an eyebrow in curiosity, but said nothing. "Chancellor Sheppard sent a recommendation for me to study in America, and I've decided to accept."

"I…I see…" Jaden looked away, his thoughts in another place.

"Jaden…" she grabbed his face and turned his head so that he was facing her before resuming "Are you okay? I never meant to upset you; it's just that with everything going on with Trueman and whatnot, there wasn't a lot of time to really have a discussion about our futures. But I know that's no excuse, and I'm sorry…"

Before she could continue her apologetic rant, Jaden placed a finger on her lips and reassured her "Don't be sorry Lex; I'm not angry at you by any means. You should go pursue your dreams; I'm just trying to adjust, is all."

"Jaden…I don't want to lose you; you're too important to me to lose contact with you after we leave Duel Academy."

"Alexis…" he embraced her then, holding her tight, until an idea flashed in his head. "Hey Lex, what would you say if I came to visit you at school every month? That way, we could both pursue our dreams, and we could still keep our relationship."

Alexis stared at him in awe; _why didn't I think of that?_ Instead of saying what she thought, she kissed him. Jaden's brown orbs widened in shock, but returned the kiss until Alexis parted for air.

"You kissed me…"

"I know…I was there" teased Alexis, causing Jaden to smile.

He then embraced his girlfriend, who closed her eyes and returned the embrace with equal fervor.

"I promise to e-mail you every week."

"You'd better" mock threatened Alexis.

At first, Jaden thought Alexis was serious, due to the hard expression on her face, until it softened into a joking smile. She tightened her grip around his neck as she finished "I'm so proud of you, Jay! I know I'll hear all about the great things that you're going to do when I see you again!"

Jaden smiled and replied "And I expect to hear all about how you're helping the next generation of duelists, Rhodes-Sensei!"(1).

"Ha-Ha, very funny, Jaden."

She meant it to be sarcastic, but her heart secretly fluttered at being called by her future title, by Jaden no less, who seemed to embody the exact opposite of formality. She kissed him one last time, before letting go of him.

"Well, I guess this is good-bye for now. See you in a month, anata!" (2)

"Do your best, anata" (2), Jaden replied with a loving smile.

He then ran off, leaving Alexis on the grounds, watching her boyfriend go on his adventures. Yet even though they were separating for now, she knew that it wasn't truly goodbye. Chuckling, she turned to walk back to the Blue Dorm, to change into the dress that Atticus had gotten for her to wear during the Graduation Party. _Alright Atti, I'll cave this once_.

– Sensei is a title for teachers, which translates to "honorable master". Jaden is using it to refer to Alexis's dream of becoming a teacher.

\- Anata is a personal pronoun that means "You", but husbands and wives also use it when speaking to each other, and can roughly translate to "beloved". Jaden and Alexis use it to show their affection for each other.


	3. Chapter 3: Paradox Panic

**Chapter 3: Paradox Panic**

The room was silent, the scratching of a pen on paper the only noise as Alexis started her homework. Yet even though she might have seemed to be diligently working, her mind was elsewhere. For it had been a month, and yet no word from Jaden.

_I shouldn't be getting testy about this; I mean he's traveling the WORLD for heaven's sake. Anything could have delayed him…_

Alexis sighed and grabbed her papers; she knew when she wasn't gonna be able to focus on her work.

_Maybe a little walk will clear my head…_the ex-Obelisk thought as she walked towards the exit.

As she passed by several students, she flashed back to her Academy days, days when she would hang out with her friends, and Jaden, laughing as though the outside world did not exist. She smiled in nostalgia, a tear of happiness sliding down her cheek. Her trip down memory lane was short-lived however, as she bumped into a passerby, falling down from the impact. As she was about to apologize, she saw the stranger extend a rose to her instead of a hand. Also, she saw the familiar red jacket and auburn hair that made her heart flutter.

"JADEN!" she nearly yelled as she stood up and embraced the young man she loved. She ran her hand down his back and cried "I missed you."

The young ex-Slifer smiled as he ran his hands through her golden locks and murmured "I missed you too, Asuka."

"Asuka?" Alexis asked incredulously. She smiled and joked "What, is that your new pet-name for me or something like that?"

"Something like that…" Jaden murmured. "It just seemed to suit you."

"Well, in that case, it's a wonderful nickname, Judai."

"Judai?! Hmm…it has a certain ring to it…" Jaden acquiesced.

She then let go of her beloved and changed the subject. "But Jaden, what took you so long? It's been over a month since we saw each other. What happened to delay your visit?"

Alexis felt guilty about bringing up his tardiness, but with her emotions running high, the part of her that would have kept that question to herself was overpowered by the part that wanted to know.

"That's actually part of what I wanted to talk to you about…" Jaden replied. "Is there a place where we can talk more privately?"

Alexis nodded and replied "My apartment should do the trick; follow me."

Jaden nodded as Alexis grabbed his hand, causing both of them to blush, and dragged him away from the campus.

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"So let me get this straight…" Alexis began incredulously. "You met a guy who was stealing cards, who then summoned them for real, and was nearly killed by one, until a time-traveling duelist named Yusei intervened." Jaden simple nodded. "You guys then deduced that he was after Pegasus, and teamed up with Yugi to duel this guy and stop him from destroying Duel Monsters forever."

"That's the basic gist of it Lex" Jaden replied as though it wasn't a big deal.

"Alright Jaden, I've seen some whacky things in my life, but this definitely takes the cake."

"I know it's hard to believe, Lex, but it really happened." Jaden insisted.

"Oh I don't doubt that it happened; I'm just amazed at the crazy things that continue to happen to you, Jaden." She then continued "Craziness aside, however, it still doesn't tell me why you were late."

"That's the easy part. See, the day that I chased after Paradox was the day that I was planning to take a boat to visit you from Venice, but after chasing Paradox, I missed by boat and had to schedule another one." He looked into her eyes and finished "Believe me, the last thing I wanted was to break my word to you, Lex!"

His eyes started to water, causing Alexis to give a melancholy smile and wipe his eyes with her thumb. "What's past is past, Jay. And besides, this whole long-distance thing is still new to us; there are bound to be some kinks. But I know that we'll work them out in the end."

Jaden smiled and hugged her, with Alexis following suit. "Say Jaden…did you make residential plans yet?"

Jaden frowned and replied "Darn; I forgot to call a hotel and make arrangements. It's ok though; I'll just tent outside."

Alexis shook her head and retorted "Absolutely NOT, Jaden. This apartment has 2 bedrooms; there's enough room for me to share."

"Are…Are you sure that's ok Lex? I would never impose on you…" Jaden stuttered.

Alexis giggled at his nervousness and replied "It's fine, Jaden. I'm offering, so you're not imposing."

Jaden smiled and relaxed, with Alexis smiling at his relaxed mood. For the remainder of the day, they casually chatted about their lives, decks, etc. until Alexis decided to show Jaden to his room.

"I trust it will be to your liking?" Alexis asked as she opened the door to a bright red room with three bunk beds and a small desk.

Jaden's eyes sparkled with nostalgia as he exclaimed "It looks just like my old dorm at the Academy! Everything's here; the beds, the desk, the burrow! How'd you do it, Lex?"

Alexis giggled at Jaden's antics. "I had Sheppard move your old stuff to this room, and nobody lived in the Slifer Dorm anymore, so he was glad to donate it to someone who'd use it."

Jaden's eyes watered as he kneeled down and hugged her legs, kissing her feet and yelling "THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU!"

Alexis rolled her eyes and continued "Well, I'll give you the evening to let you get reacquainted. If you need me, I'm just across the hall." She winked and finished "Night, Jaden!"

"Night, Lex…" Jaden said as he went to prepare for bed.

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_Knock Knock Knock_… Alexis turned in her bed, thinking it was just in her dreams. But when the incessant rapping got louder, she realized that someone was actually knocking at her door. _Honestly, who would be awake at this time of night?_ She wondered as she went to open her door. As she opened the door however, her annoyed expression turned to one of shock as she saw her boyfriend standing there in red pajamas with a red robe and tears in his eyes.

"Jaden…"

"Lex…" he replied, a slight sob in his voice.

Alexis didn't spend any more time thinking; she grabbed his hand and pulled him into an embrace, rubbing his back as Jaden let the tears flow down his cheeks, falling onto Alexis's navy blue nightgown. She awkwardly walked them to the edge of her bed and sat them down, continuing to rub his back for comfort.

"It's ok, Jaden; everything's going to be ok." She continued to murmur words of comfort as Jaden calmed down.

"Now Jaden, what happened to make you so upset?" Alexis asked as she laid a hand on his cheek.

"A…A nightmare, Lex." Jaden started to cry some more until Alexis calmed him down by hugging him tighter and whispering words of comfort in his ear.

"What was it about, Jaden?" Alexis asked hesitantly; she didn't want to bring forth is tears again, but she knew that this was the only way for Jaden to deal with the pain and move on.

"That…that Paradox guy I told you about. He…he did something that made you disappear from history. One second, you were there, chilling out with me, and the next, you were fading away, and all I could hear was his chilling laugh."

Jaden shuddered, the memory chilling him to his very core. Alexis looked at him sadly. _Why does HE have to go through all this torment? He's already saved the world multiple times, so why does he have to suffer?_ She kissed his forehead, trying to comfort him.

"Jaden, I...I'm so sorry that you had to suffer that nightmare. But, I'm not going anywhere, and I'll always be there when you need me." She pulled him so that they were lying down on the bed, her body leaning slightly on top of Jaden. She stroked his cheek with her hand, whispering "Aishiteru, Judai." (1)

His tears subsiding, Jaden smiled, placed his hand on her cheek, and returned "Aishiteru mo, Asuka." (2)

Smiling, Alexis wiped Jaden's tears away with her thumb. Jaden blushed at the contact, then yawned. "Sleepy, Jay?"

"Maybe…" the ex-Slifer conceded.

"Then sleep; I'll be right here."

Alexis then started humming. _What is that; a lullaby? Whatever it is, it sure sounds nice…_Jaden thought before yawning one last time, and letting his eyes close.

Alexis smiled, her heart warming at Jaden's inner peace. She kissed his cheek one last time before falling asleep herself, still faintly humming the lullaby.

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– Aishiteru is a phrase that roughly translates to "I'm in love with you."

– Aishiteru mo is simply Jaden returning the "I love you"


End file.
